Families of ferry dead march on palace

Parents holding portraits of their children, who died on
sunken passenger ship Sewol, march towards the Presidential
Blue House in central Seoul. REUTERS/Son Hyung-ju/News1

Parents of children killed when a passenger ferry sank
last month led a sombre march on South Korea's presidential
palace in the early hours of today, where they demanded to meet
President Park Geun-hye.

Clutching memorial portraits of their children, family
members and grieving parents were prevented by riot police
from nearing the palace, and instead sat in the middle of the
road where they sobbed, wailed and shouted in anger.

"Listen to us, President Park. Just give us ten seconds!,"
one family member said, using a portable address system. "Why
are you blocking the way?," said another. "President Park
hear our voices!"

Seated on the ground in the middle of the night, they wore
beige blankets and huddled in rows on the cold floor. One
mother, overcome with grief, quietly sobbed as she stroked a
portrait of her dead son.

Park's government has faced continued criticism for its
handling of the disaster from the families of the ferry
victims, many of whom believe a faster initial response could
have saved many more lives.

South Korean prosecutors are seeking the arrest of members of
the family that owns the ferry operator, and may also seek
the extradition of a son of the reclusive head of the family
from the United States, an official said on Thursday.

The Sewol, overloaded and travelling too fast on a turn,
capsized and sank about 20 km (12 miles) off the southwest
coast on a routine journey from Incheon on the mainland to
the southern holiday island of Jeju, killing hundreds of
children and teachers on a high school outing.

Only 172 people have been rescued and the remainder are all
presumed to have drowned. An estimated 476 passengers and
crew were on board.

However, some of the crew, including the captain were caught
on videotape abandoning ship while the children were told
numerous times to stay put in their cabins where they awaited
further orders.

They paid for their obedience with their lives.

Heartbreaking new video released by families on the march
showed students laughing as they tried, and failed, to
scramble up a vertical floor.

Earlier footage recovered from the students' mobile phones
shows them playing around as the ship started listing, even
joking about the sinking of the Titanic, when they had plenty
of time to jump overboard.

Only two of the vessel's 46 lifeboats were deployed.

INVESTIGATION BROADENS

The prosecutors' pursuit of a son and a daughter of Yoo
Byung-un, the head of the family that owns Chonghaejin
Marine, the ferry operator, broadens the criminal
investigation into the tragedy. The government has also
started the process of stripping the company of its licence
to operate ferries.

It was not clear whether Yoo Byung-un, who ran the defunct
commercial empire that was the precursor to the sprawling
business interests that include Chonghaejin, might be called
in for questioning.

Yoo's son Hyuck-ki, who is believed to be in the United
States, has failed three times to respond to a prosecution
summons, an official said. Other aides to Yoo are also
believed to be abroad and have ignored summonses.

"Since it is an important issue that has drawn public
attention, we will do our best (to ensure) their attendance
and forcible extradition," said Kim Hoe-jong, second deputy
chief prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecution Service.

Prosecutors arrested several officials of the ferry operator
and its affiliates, including Chonghaejin's chief executive,
on charges of negligence causing death and the sinking of a
vessel on Thursday.

All 15 of the surviving crew members, including the
69-year-old captain, have been arrested and face charges of
gross negligence amid accusations they abandoned the vessel
without performing emergency escape procedures.

The prosecution is working with the U.S.' Federal Bureau of
Investigation and Department of Homeland Security for
possible extradition of Yoo Hyuck-ki, the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors have also raided the shipping company's offices
and financial regulators are investigating borrowings of the
company and of businesses that are part of a wider holding
firm.

Son Byoung-gi, a lawyer who has spoken for the family
previously, did not immediately comment.

South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and one of its
leading manufacturing and export powerhouses, has developed
into one of the world's most technically advanced countries,
but faces criticism that regulatory controls have not kept
pace.

Nearly 450,000 people have paid tribute to the victims at the
altar set up near the school many of the children attended.